1. Field of the Invention
This invention is a device for catching or loading, holding, carrying and storing ice hockey pucks, other pucks and balls.
This invention pertains generally to devices for carrying, holding, catching and storing ice hockey and other pucks and balls. Devices for carrying and storing hockey pucks and balls have been around for a significant period of time. These devices have generally provided for methods of carrying or storing the pucks, but have not dealt with methods of collecting and ensuring that the pucks and balls can be collected without the individual bending over or being on their hands and knees to descend to the level of the pucks or balls to place them in the holding or carrying device, including allowing pucks to be shot into the device by a hockey stick. Although there are various carrying and holding devices, there is a need for a device which will allow pucks to be gathered, collected and put in a storage facility without bending over or descending to the ice surface, including shooting pucks and balls into the device while standing or skating, yet which allows the ice to melt off and the pucks or balls and can be easily transported, and secured by locking the device.
2. Description of Prior Art
The prior art has consisted of devices for holding and carrying pucks. These have to be loaded by hand and are merely receptacles for the storage and carrying of the pucks.
There is no method for loading the pucks except by hand at the surface. In fact, they do not provide for a method of loading as part of the prior art or claims.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,956 issued to Panossian, also Canadian Patent No. 2066564 is a carrier for circular articles, including hockey pucks and various balls. It is a hollow bodied frame with slots for insertion of the balls by hand. There is no method for loading the pucks without bending over or any method of loading the pucks other than by hand. It is essentially a method wherein each slot is for holding individual pucks in a specific slot or position. The present invention does not hold each individual puck or ball in a specific slot or position, is not loaded by hand as required under the Panossian Patent and the Panossian device cannot be loaded with a stick without picking the puck up by hand.
Although these patents relate to the storage of hockey pucks, none deal with the loading of hockey pucks, none have a locking device, as contained in this invention, allowing the device to be locked and the pucks to be contained securely.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,144 issued to Bothers is a hockey puck storage and dispensing system. It is loaded by hand and the primary claim relates to the dispensing or discharge device which is not applicable to this invention
U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,140 issued to Radja is an apparatus for carrying pucks and other hockey equipment. The pucks are gathered by hand and stacked vertically. There is no provision for loading the puck, other than by hand, and is primarily a method of carrying hockey equipment.
It is apparent from the foregoing that the prior art fails to have a method for loading the hockey pucks or balls using a stick, including a hockey stick, or which can be loaded without bending down or otherwise descending to the level of which the pucks and balls are located for loading of the device. There is no proper locking mechanism which allows the devices to be securely stored, which is not dependant on the quantity of pucks or balls stored.